17-year-old son of Philadelphia attorney accused of plotting terrorist attack with Islamic extremists: 'I didn't see it coming at all'

The 17-year-old son of a veteran defense attorney in Philadelphia has been arrested in connection with a federal terrorism investigation.

On Monday, the juvenile son of 50-year-old Qawi Abdul-Rahman was arrested at his family's home in West Philadelphia and taken into custody on suspicion of several serious charges, including weapons of mass destruction, criminal conspiracy, arson, and causing/risking catastrophe, a press release from the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office said.

According to investigators with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and several detectives with the Philadelphia Police Department, in March or April of this year, the young man began corresponding via Instagram with Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad, otherwise known as KTJ, which the State Department designated as a terrorist organization in 2022. KTJ was responsible for several global terrorist incidents, including an attack in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2017 and the deadly bombing of the Chinese embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the year prior.

A WhatsApp account connected with the juvenile's phone number also previously used as its profile photo a picture of the Chechnya-based terrorist group Riyad-us-Saliheen Martyrs’ Brigade. Then earlier this month, that WhatsApp profile photo was changed to an image of an ISIS banner, the press release said.

Members of the FBI task force claimed to have observed the teen purchasing materials often used in the construction of IEDs. Other similar materials were allegedly collected from trash at the residence. The task force further claimed that "14 international shipments of military and tactical gear" had been sent to the teen's home.

For now, it seems the teen's case is being handled by the juvenile court system. However, a judge could transfer the case to adult court, the press release stated.

A statement from District Attorney Larry Krasner asserted that the charges assessed against the juvenile "represent the most serious alleged terrorist activity prosecuted in Philadelphia County court in recent history" and that his office intends "to pursue full accountability for these crimes and ... to protect all of our communities from hateful, ideologically driven acts of violence."

Krasner also expressed gratitude that the task force "potentially thwarted a catastrophic terrorist," but then claimed that those allegedly involved in this case espouse "a perverted ideology that in no way, shape, or form represents the beliefs of the overwhelming majority of peace-seeking people of faith, including Muslims."

The teen's father, Abdul-Rahman, has spent decades as an attorney in Philadelphia, mostly as a public defender, and even recently ran to be a Common Pleas Court judge. He told the Daily Beast, "I didn’t see it coming at all. At all."

"I go to court because I want people to know that Muslims are out here doing things in the community, for the community," Abdul-Rahman said. "I’m an American like everyone else."

"It’s truly amazing. I deal with people all day every day, but until you have the shoe on your foot, it’s hard to really talk about it," he added.

"Your job as a father is to protect. But I couldn’t do a thing."

Television Courtroom: #80 (March 2023) [Live]youtu.be

DA Krasner issued a warning for other parents whose children may be vulnerable to extremist indoctrination. "Self-radicalization by young people via the internet is a threat to all families," he said in a statement. "Parents: Keep an eye out for violent cults that would lure in your kids under the guise of politics or religion."

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